The Shunning of Ryan T. Anderson

[BedellBrave]

Explain.

(Or, since I'm assuming you're opting to call me out instead of take my bait: explain which specific "theological certainties" you think I personally do not cast out.)

I'm not smart enough to hang with you jpx7. I'll just say I work off the tried and true view that everyone has certain points of inconsistency and that when they toss out lines like 'disdaining all theological certainties' or say absolutes, they usually have a few they are operating off of. You know the proverbial, "There are no absolutes." And the response, "oh, really? Isn't that cute."

 

[jpx7]

I'm not smart enough to hang with you jpx7.

You credit me too much, or yourself too little.

I'll just say I work off the tried and true view that everyone has certain points of inconsistency and that when they toss out lines like 'disdaining all theological certainties' or say absolutes, they usually have a few they are operating off of. You know the proverbial, "There are no absolutes." And the response, "oh, really? Isn't that cute."

It's an ineluctably fair point: there are no absolutes, even that there are none. All I'll say is that I try my level best to avoid them.

(I was also quite purposefully baiting you with my initial response—intending to go down a path of debate about which "theological certainties" are countenanced, and which conveniently aren't—but you either expertly or accidentally parried that advance.)

 

[goldfly]

That was the liberal, pro-SSM author that's calling you a thug.

I called you a totalitarian.

i am fine with either label

 

[Julio3000]

Two wrongs and all...

Julio, you'll just keep moving things back. I accept that. You'll be more careful than others. I already know of threats upon certain churches where they are having to seriously consider adding security. I know of other incidents through the past few years, but every time I might mention them, i get this sort of reaction. I'm resigned to the fact that the counter you will make is like the one above. It is what it is.

Why don't we just call thugs (and no I'm not using that as a racial slur) on any side thugs?

With the caveat that I live in a bit of a conservative Christian bubble, I'm just not aware of people who are being denied by proponents of gay rights the right to worship, live, and associate as they see fit. I've made my feelings about the commercial issues known in other threads. I'm willing to unilaterally condemn people who use violence or the threat of violence on either side of the issue. But I'm not feeling the equivalency that you're drawing. The situation described in the OP is groupthink or a regrettable fit of PC. I don't hear the echo of jackboots. Do you, really?

 

[sturg33]

Here you go Julio... now the gay community has turned on their own! Link

Ian Reisner, one of the two gay hoteliers facing boycott calls for hosting an event for Senator Ted Cruz, who is adamantly opposed to same-sex marriage, apologized to the gay community for showing “poor judgment.”

Mr. Reisner put the apology on Facebook, where a page calling for a boycott of his properties, the gay-friendly Out NYC hotel and his Fire Island Pines holdings, had gotten more than 8,200 “likes” by Sunday evening.

“I am shaken to my bones by the emails, texts, postings and phone calls of the past few days. I made a terrible mistake,” wrote Mr. Reisner.

The New York Times first reported on the event, a dinner and on April 20, at the duplex Mr. Reisner and his business partner Mati Weiderpass co-own on Central Park South in Manhattan. The event was a “fireside chat” for about a dozen people, but was not a fund-raiser.

The two men are prominent figures in the gay rights community, and Mr. Reisner has been especially vocal about same-sex marriage. He’s also a staunch supporter of Israel, as is Mr. Cruz.

But Mr. Cruz has also introduced legislation to try to preserve the rights of states to maintain their bans on same-sex marriage and he has called for pastors to hold prayer services while the Supreme Court hears arguments on April 28 over the legality of the bans.

Last week, Mr. Reisner and another attendee said Mr. Cruz didn’t explicitly say he opposed same-sex marriage at the catered dinner, but said that the issue was best left to the states. Mr. Cruz, who is hoping to appeal to evangelical voters in the Iowa caucuses, said he had voiced his strong religious opposition to same-sex marriage at the dinner.

Mr. Cruz faced some backlash among conservatives over the event, but it was nothing compared to the criticism both Mr. Reisner and Mr. Weiderpass faced from the gay community.

“I was ignorant, naïve and much too quick in accepting a request to co-host a dinner with Cruz at my home without taking the time to completely understand all of his positions on gay rights,” Mr. Reisner said.

“I’ve spent the past 24 hours reviewing videos of Cruz’s statements on gay marriage and I am shocked and angry. I sincerely apologize for hurting the gay community and so many of our friends, family, allies, customers and employees. I will try my best to make up for my poor judgment. Again, I am deeply sorry.”

Mr. Reisner’s apology came before a scheduled protest march in front of Out NYC.

In addition to the boycott calls, Broadway Cares, an H.I.V.-AIDS fund-raising and grant-making organization, canceled an annual event at a nightclub that the two men own.